2017: Something Old, Something New

This year at the Iconfactory was an especially busy place and much of that was because of you. Thanks to your support, we were able to bring a fine feathered friend back from the ashes. We also launched exciting new products and helped clients around the world expand their Emoji and icon offerings.

The year started out with a bang when we launched Linea, our humble digital sketchbook for the iPad. We designed Linea to be a drawing tool that was easily approachable, yet powerful in just the right places. Linea launched in January, and we quickly added major Apple Pencil improvements the following month. Linea Link for Mac was released in May and allowed users to quickly and easily transfer images to the desktop.

We were floored by the response to Linea from both critics and customers alike. They agreed that our simple and elegant approach on the iPad gets the job done without complications. Stay tuned for a major update in the new year as we implement some of your most requested features!

Something else amazing happened in February. We took a step outside our comfort zone and launched Project Phoenix – a Kickstarter campaign to resurrect the long-dead version of Twitterrific on the Mac. The entire effort was a huge gamble. Would enough people back the project? Would we be able to fulfill our promises and deliver the final app on time? Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long to find out the answer to the first question: Phoenix was funded in less than 30 days with the help of over 2,800 backers.

Development started in earnest with frequent Kickstarter updates and beta releases: backers gave us great feedback and helped squash bugs throughout entire process. When Twitterrific for macOS finally hit the App Store in October, it was both gratifying and humbling. Even with a monkey wrench in the works when Twitter changed replies, Ollie rolled with the punches and took flight only a few weeks behind schedule.

In December, Twitterrific for macOS was bestowed the AppleVis Golden Apple Award. Given to apps & developers who help empower blind and low-vision users via accessibility, we are grateful to have been given the chance to update Twitterrific and make it accessible for everyone. Project Phoenix kept us busy throughout the year with design and engineering challenges but we couldn’t be happier with the result.

In early spring we were delighted when Apple featured our sticker pack, Route 66, as part of a nation-wide ad campaign for iMessage. We were gratified to be included along side so many other wonderful sticker collections and we look forward to next evolution of stickers & Emoji in 2018.

Speaking of Emoji, all of the artists and designers here at the Iconfactory helped create thousands of new Emoji and icons last year for clients like Twitter, Warner Bros., and many more we can’t talk about. You’ve probably used some of our iconic creations on popular social media in 2017 and didn’t even realize it! We’re looking forward to expanding the Emoji universe even further in the months ahead and stand ready to help you, your brand, and your business prosper in the coming year.

We’re always amazed when the year ends, and not only are we still alive and kicking, but also thriving. In 2017 we found new ways of expanding our business and bringing the kinds of software and services you love, to life. We look forward to continuing the tradition in 2018 and hope you’ll join us. From our entire Iconfactory family, have the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year.